One more thing that might help your husband - if he can work longer at his current job (the one covered by Social Security), every additional year of "substantial earnings" will help reduce the WEP penalty. For 2025, substantial earnings means making at least $31,275 in Social Security-covered employment. If he can get to 30 years of substantial earnings under Social Security, the WEP won't apply at all. With 12 years already, that would mean 18 more years which probably isn't feasible. But even a few more years will reduce the penalty incrementally.

dont forget RIB (retirement insurance benefits) and DIB (disability insurance benefits). they love throwing those around too lol

I've been on this forum for about a year, and I've seen plenty of posts about COLA increases, Medicare premium changes, and even discussions about proposed legislation that might affect benefits. The moderators seem pretty reasonable as long as you stick to the facts and how they impact recipients rather than getting into which political party is better/worse.

I'm so confused about all this already. I'm turning 62 next year and still trying to decide when to claim. If they keep changing the rules, how am I supposed to plan?? Will they at least grandfather in people close to retirement if they make big changes??

Sorry but what is a PIA? Seeing that term in one of the comments and not sure what it means.

Thank you everyone for all the helpful responses! I've learned so much from this thread. To summarize what I understand now: 1. I cannot receive spousal benefits until my husband actually files for his own retirement benefits (the "file and suspend" strategy is no longer available) 2. When he does file (likely at age 67), I'll need to apply for the spousal top-up - it won't happen automatically 3. The maximum spousal benefit would be 50% of his PIA, minus my own SSDI amount 4. His strategy to wait until 67 is probably best for maximizing our lifetime benefits, especially considering potential survivor benefits I really appreciate everyone taking the time to explain this to me!

My sister went through this and just didn't report some of her cash jobs. Just saying...

Based on your description, you may want to consider whether your husband qualifies for the Retirement Earnings Test (RET) exemption if he's in certain situations: 1. If he's truly retiring (reducing hours and earnings significantly) 2. If he's self-employed and will perform minimal services There's also a special rule when calculating benefits if he's truly stopping substantial work mid-year. In that case, regardless of annual earnings, he can receive full benefits for months where he earns under the monthly limit ($1,930 in 2025) AND doesn't perform substantial services in self-employment. I suggest scheduling an appointment with SSA to discuss these special rules, as they might apply to your husband's seasonal work situation.

I know several people mentioned calling SSA is difficult, and it really is these days. When I was trying to sort out my own benefits (with a similar ex-spouse situation), I used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an agent. They have this system that navigates the phone menus and waits on hold for you, then calls you when an agent is on the line. Their video demo (https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU) shows how it works. Saved me hours of frustration and the agent was able to calculate exactly what my options were with specific numbers rather than generalities.

A couple more points that might help you: 1. Your alimony has zero impact on Social Security benefits - they're completely separate systems. 2. If your ex passes away before you (hopefully not!), the rules change completely. As a surviving divorced spouse, you'd be eligible for survivor benefits which could be up to 100% of what he was receiving or eligible to receive. 3. Since you're planning to work until 70+, each additional year of higher earnings can potentially replace a lower-earning year in your benefit calculation. Social Security uses your highest 35 years of earnings (indexed for inflation). 4. When you eventually speak with SSA, ask them to calculate both your projected benefit at 70 based on your earnings AND what your ex-spouse benefit would be. That way you'll know exactly which will be higher. Hope this helps!